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Impervia
Impervia is the largest nation in the world and sits in the north-eastern corner of Tellaria. Impervia is also amongst the oldest nations as this is where Mordahn started his unification of the known world. In the very center of Impervia is Aardheim, the inactive corpse of a titan and the current capital of Impervia. Overview Impervia takes the north-eastern part of Tellaria, bordering with Iltheera in the south and the Wildlands and Zheng Zhi to the west. Impervia was once a vast steppe covered in soft grass, but these days excessive farming have left the earth around Aardheim dry and arid. The southern areas are still ideal places for farming but even that is slowly dwindling. Part of the riches Impervia have come upon comes from the numerous mines and quarries scattered across the nation. Aardheim itself has a vast iron mine within its walls that have provided the city with building materials and trading materials, making the iron industry the central pillar of its economy. Impervia also houses several abandoned dwarven holds, from which treasures and riches are excavated. The most popular of these holds is Bal-Karag, surrounded by the city of Jarnholm. Covering the south-eastern part of Impervia is a large series of mountains called the Hollows. It's a harsh and densely forested area of Impervia which has attracted all sorts of bandits and raiders that hole up in the numerous mountain passes and caves. This has in turn made the town of Ipps an important pit stop for any travelers heading through the area. Cities Aardheim Aardheim is the grand capital of Impervia and the largest city in Tellaria. The city is jointly ruled by King Mordahn XV and Archbishop Kyvern D'richter. Aardheim is a massive city supporting a population of almost 2 million people. It is a center of trade and has flourished thanks to its massive workforce and central location in Tellaria. Aardheim was built upon the inactive remains of an old mechanical titan called Aardus that once walked the world. After its fight with the Darkmother, the titan collapsed and immediately created living space for generations to come. Because of its nature, Aardheim is built mostly out of iron and steel, those being the most readily available materials. Due to its long history and large population Aardheim has grown to ridiculous heights, giving the city its trademark skyline and spear-like shape. Structure The city of Aardheim is a miracle of a construction. The city itself is built on top of the remains of Aardus, and then consists of several layers on top of that again. The city consists of several hundred feet pillars built upwards as the years passed by. As a result of that the lower streets of the city barely get any sunlight and the citizens must rely on magitech to provide them with light. The lower levels are the common areas, it is usually reserved for poor merchants, businessmen and factory workers. The streets are usually dirty and covered in mud and ash. The middle levels are populated by more wealthy merchants, they don't have to suffer through the dirt falling from above as much and can lead relatively normal lives. Above that are the upper levels, populated by the rich and powerful. These people more or less control most of the important dealings in Aardheim. Most of the thrash and leftovers from the upper levels slowly trickle down below where it sullies the streets of the commoners. Religion Aardheim's culture is heavily influenced by the faith of its people. Their lives usually revolve around the fact that the city's king is a descendant of a god-like human. They believe Mordahn XV is a reincarnation of the ancient barbarian king. The upper levels of Aardheim usually reserved for successful merchants, nobility and the clergy. There are numerous cathedrals littering the upper levels, each being led by a bishop who in turn answers to the archbishop. Most of the high ranking clergy in Aardheim are members of either the D'richter family or one of its branch families. They have held control of the clergy for several generations. Archbishop Kyvern D'richter is the family patriarch and gets the final say in most family matters. Population Aardheim has a population just under 2 million people, making it the most populated city in Tellaria by a large margin. Because of this, people from Aardheim are a reclusive people, preferring to not bother each other with small things and minding their own businesses. A typical person from Aardheim will not go out of his or her way to help a stranger and would rather pass by without being noticed. The most common profession in Aardheim is factory worker, where people slave away at the numerous smelteries and factories that cover the lower levels. As you progress up in the hierarchy and levels in Aardheim, people will get progressively nicer and more welcoming. it isn't as populous in the upper and middle levels so new faces are a welcome sight. Because of this, most tourists and visitors in Aardheim choose to stay around this area. Jarnholm Jarnholm is a large city near the western borders on Impervia. Neighboring the city are the massive swathes of unexplored lands called the Wildlands. The city itself is built just outside the ancient dwarven ruins of Bal-Karag. Most of the wealth that flows through Jarnholm is because of these very ruins. Jarnholm offers many opportunities to travelers and tourists, as the placement of the city provides it with the possibility of toruing the borders of the Wildlands as well as deep-delving adventures into the depths of Bal-Karag. Bal-Karag The ancient mountain halls of Bal-Karag have long since been abandoned. What once housed great industry and massive feasts has now been emptied completely, its inhabitants gone. What the dwarves left have provided the city of Jarnholm with great riches, as deep-delving into the ruins and beyond has become a popular past-time among adventurers. The ruins of Bal-Karag were once filled from bottom to top with old treasure, magical items and historical artifacts. While most of it is emptied today it was once a treasure trove awaiting to be opened. Deep-delving is not without its dangers however, as the halls are old and worn after years of neglect. The structural integrity is failing under the sheer weight of the mountain it's built underneath. This has started a race to completely explore Bal-Karag before the entire thing collapses. On top of this, hordes of monsters from both the surface world and the underdark have taken up residence within the empty city, griefing the explorers of Bal-Karag to no end. Deep-Delvers Those that have made a living out of exploring Bal-Karag are called deep-delvers. Rugged and brave adventurers that often spend weeks miles under the earth to chart and excavate whatever they can get their hands on. As time passes deep-delving has become much harder because they have to head deeper and deeper into the ruins. Alver Alver is a coastal city on the northern coast of Impervia, making it one of the northernmost cities on Tellaria. While the climate is less harsh than what you can find in Arkovia, the ground is still affected by permafrost and is unfarmable. Because of this, Alver has taken up fishing and trade in large quantities. Trading with airships along the southern coast of Tellaria is often safer but taking a waterborne vehicle along the northern coast is much faster. The icy waters and creatures you can find there pose a challenge to any seafarers found in the northern waters. Alver also makes a lot of money trading with the Empiric Council,providing the isolated island with provisions and materials. Ipps Ipps is a walled city in the southern reaches of Impervia, nestled between the inner Tellarian sea, the Hollows and Iltheera. The city provides refuge to land travelers coming through the land as it is a safe haven from the numerous bandit groups that roam the land. Ipps has built up a reputation of being a great place to train guards, bounty hunters and man-trackers as the circumstances allow for extensive hands-on training. the Hollows To the east of Ipps is the large mountain range of the Hollows. It is a group of sharp mountains with dense vegetation growing in between the peaks. Because of this, the Hollows have become a den of bandits and highwaymen seeking to hide away from the public. Because of this, almost no one ever travels deep into the Hollows.